The Sheridan County Conservation District (SCCD) has obtained grants to provide cost-share assistance to landowners wishing to make animal feeding operation improvements in Sheridan County.   The purpose of this cost-share program is to develop and install structural and/or management practices that will assist in reducing water quality impacts from livestock operations.  In addition, the program will help producers minimize their risk for regulatory action. 

As part of this program, technical assistance from the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is provided to assist the producer in the planning, design, and engineering of the project.  Other qualified personnel may be used at the landowner’s discretion to provide technical support.  However, all work must meet NRCS standards and specifications to be considered for funding.  In addition, a specific implementation plan and contract will be developed with the selected project applicants.  The contract will be between the producer and SCCD.

Applications will be prioritized and selected by the SCCD with guidance, when necessary, from a Local Work Group (LWG), which consists of local watershed steering committee representatives, agriculture producers, USDA agency personnel, UW Cooperative Extension personnel, Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality representatives, and local Conservation District representatives.  Landowners are encouraged to meet with the SCCD during the approval process.

Although not required, an information and education component, which might include a tour of the site, is highly recommended as a way to facilitate broad-scale change throughout the watershed.   However, the SCCD does not wish to exclude projects with a high potential for improving water quality that might not otherwise participate. 

The level of treatment to be achieved will target zero discharge from a 25 yr/24 hour event based on current EPA standards for permitted facilities.  However, the actual treatment level applied to the operation will be the landowner’s decision.  The level of treatment applied will be considered by the SCCD in priority setting.

The SCCD will base decisions on consensus rather than majority vote.  The 5 basic criteria used when prioritizing applications include:

1. An assessment of the operation’s risk or need for improvement;

2. Water quality concerns/ potential benefits;

3. Cost effectiveness;

4.  Group Consensus on the benefits of the project;

5.  The location in respect to impaired waterbodies.